Undergarment construction



E. JONES UNDERGARMENT CONSTRUCTION March 2, 1965 Filed Sept. 5, 1965 mvENToR En/e2. :fm/5.9

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United States Patent O F 3,171,413 UNDERGARMENT CONSTRUCTION Ethel Jones, 2432 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles 7, Calif. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,143 8 Claims. (Cl. 12S-527) This invention relates generally to undergarments for women; more specifically, the invention relates to undergarments such as corsets, corselettes, girdles and the like which are provided with a portion which may be disengageable from the main garment to provide access to parts of the body of the wearer required for sanitary or hygienic purposes.

Prior art garments of this general character are generally inconvenient in some particulars, and especially so when removal of or shifting of the lower portions of the garment is necessary for the purpose of rendering parts of the body accessible for sanitary and hygienic purposes. Garments have been made in the past having adjustable lower portions to obviate the necessity of removing the Whole garment, but such adjustments generally do not provide adequate accessibility. Garments having such adjustable lower portions as disclosed in the prior art are also frequently uncomfortable to Wear because of their construction and do not give adequate support to the body of the wearer.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a garment of the type aforementioned which provides greater accessibility for sanitary and hygienic purposes than those garments of the prior art.

It is another object of this invention to provide a garment of the aforementioned type which oliers greater support to the body of the wearer than those garments of the prior art.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a garment of the aforementioned type which will enable the wearer to perform sanitary and hygienic functions without removing the entire garment, yet which will be comfortable to wear, and easy to open and close.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a garment of the aforementioned type in which provision is made to adequately protect the wearer thereof from contact with the fasteners.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be had by reference to the following part of the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pantie girdle made in accordance with the invention as it appears from the front on the human form indicated in outline;

FIGURE 2 is also a perspective view of a pantie girdle made in accordance with the invention as it appears from the back on a human form indicated in outline;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a girdle made according to the present invention in substantially the same perspective as that of FIGURE 2, but showing the connected parts thereof in their disconnected positions; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view partly broken away taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, the undergarment comprising this invention is a pantie girdle designated 10, the sections of which may be made up in any suitable flexible material commonly employed in garments of this character. Preferably, the material is a liexible cloth fabric for comfort and because its shape may be more easily retained than using an elastic material which tends to stretch unevenly.

The pantie girdle includes similar first and second lateral side panels 12 and 14. Each of the side panels 12 and 14 is contoured to fit the hips of the wearer and 3,171,413 Patented Mar. 2, 1965 lCe is wider at the bottom as indicated at 16 than it is at the top or waist as indicated at 18. The side panels 12 and 14 extend around the sides of the body over the hips of a wearer and terminate on the abdomen of the wearer at 20 and 22 in the front of the garment and terminate on the posterior of the wearer at 24 and 26 in the back of the garment.

Each of the side panels 12 and 14 includes a crotch strip 23 which extends around the crotch joining the front and back of the panels at the bottom 16 forming leg openings 25 and 27.

The sides 12 and 14 are joined together adjacent the top 18 by an annular internal waistband 28 thus forming an integral garment.

The waistband 28 may be interrupted in one of the side panels 12 or 14 over the hips of the wearer to provide for the insertion of a fastening means 29, such as is illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. Such a fastening means is preferably a zipper which extends down the side of one of the panels 12 or 14 from the top 18 and terminates near the bottom 16 of the pantie girdle 10. Such fastening means when opened, as shown in FIGURE 3, will assist the wearer in getting into the garment, and when the garment is in proper position on the body, the fastening means may be secured.

It should be noted that the employment of such fastening means is not essential and the pantie girdle may be constructed without such a fastener.

A central crotch panel or center panel member designated 30 formed of flexible material is partially removably interposed between the first and second lateral side panels 12 and 14 to complete the pantie girdle 10.

The crotch panel 30 is preferably formed Ain two similar sections 32 and 34 which are joined together with a seam 36. The seam 36 runs the entire length of the crotch panel 30. In exterior configuration the panel 30, when the sections 32 and 34 are seamed together, is generally hourglass shaped having a relatively narrow crotch portion 38 adapted to engage the crotch of the wearer and Wider front and back portions 40 and 42. The portions 40 and 42 are curved to correspond to the curved terminations 20, 22, 24 and 26. It has been found that by curving or arching the center panel and side panels, the garment will be better contoured to the body of the wearer and prevent puckering of the material as it is drawn about the body.

It has been found that by forming the panel 30 in sections united by seam 36 that the wearer will be assured of a comfortable snug fit which is not always achieved with a one-piece construction.

The central crotch panel 30 is preferably permanently attached to the pantie girdle 1l) in the back of the garment at the top 18 as best seen in FIGURE 3. However, the central crotch panel 30 may be completely removable from the pantie girdle 10 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Fastening means 44 and 46 secure the central crotch panel 30 to the iirst and second lateral side panels 12 and 14 at terminal sides 20, 22, 23, 24 and 26 and extending the entire length of the panel 30 from the top 18 down the front through the crotch of the garment 10 and up the back to the top 18. The preferred fastening means 44 and 46 are zippers which are provided with a normally soft backing material 48 between the zipper and skin of the wearer to prevent chaiing and injury to the wearer as the zippers 44 and 46 are closed or opened.

It has been found that fasteners 44 and 46 of the zipper type are ideally suited for use where the panel 30 is curved in the front and back at terminal sides 20, 22, 24 and 26. Also, a zipper will hold the material of the garment `snug and tight and does not cause any rolls or puckers in the material when closed.

An additional feature ofthe undergarment is the providing of preferred .garter supports 50 extending from the bottom 16 ofthe respective 'side panels 12 and 14 at the front and back Iof the garment. The gartersupports 50 -are each cotinuations of the side panels 12 and l14 i and not separate pieces which are sewn secured to the garment 10i or rotherwise' Each of the garter supports 50 is formedwith slots to as a pantie girdle, the removable central crotch panell 30 can be utilized with any type ofkundergarment which has separate leg openings provided therein such as a corselette. i

With thecon'struction of an undergarment as described it will be seenv that the crotch panel 30 can be conveniently disengaged torender accessible those parts of the wearer required for sanitary or hygienic purposes.

While the instant invention has' Ybeen shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized Vthat departures may be made therefrom Within the scope of the invention which is therefore not to belimited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full e l. A girdle-like garmentghaving a front, baclQ-'sides and a crotch comprising a first panel member vof ilexible sheet material forming one side of said garment and adapted to t around the hip of a-wearer, a second panel member of flexible sheet material forming the other side of said garment and adapted to fit around the opposite` hip a wearer and being substantially identical with saidV first panel member, said first and secondV panel members each having corresponding tops and adapted to fit the waist ofa wearer, and further terminating in the region of the front and back of the garment in spaced relationship from each other, said first and second panel members each having a bottom, said first and second panel members each having a crotch portion at said bottom'in spaced re- 4' lationship one from the other, a waistband lof flexible sheet material secured to said tops uniting said first and second panel members, an elongated third panel member of flexible sheet material, said third panel member extending down the said front,V between said crotch portions and u-p said back between said firstand second panel members and removablysecured to said first and second panel members along its entire length, whereby when said third panel member is secured Vto said first and second panel members said members form a complete girdle of the type described, but when removed releasing said front, crotch and back of said girdle. l v

2. A girdle-like garment as defined in claim l wherein said girdle includes stocking support means extending from the bottom of said first and second members. Y 3. AV girdle-like garment as denedin claim 2 wherein said stocking support means include uninterrupted continuations of the flexible sheet Ymaterial forming said first and second panel members. Y y

4. A girdle-like garment as defined in `claim 1 wherein said third panel member has a firstand second end, and wherein said panel member includes a relatively narrow portion intermediate the respective ends thereof removably fitted between said crotch portions of said rst and second panel members. y n

5. A girdle-like garment as denedin claim 4 wherein said third panel member includes substantially similar relativelywide front and back portions bridged by said relatively narrow portion.

6. A girdle-like garment as defined in claim l wherein said third panel member is removably secured to said first and second panel members by fastener means.

7. A girdle-like garment as defined in claim 6 wherein said fastener means is a Zipper.

8. A girdle-like garment as defined in=claim 1 wherein a portion of said third panel member is fixedly secured to said waistband whereby said third panel member may be only partially removed from said first and second panel members. Y y

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,002 12/53 Silverman 12S-526 2,998,01l 8/61 Rubin 128-528 ,3,036,574 5/62 Jeffrey 128-526 Y LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

ADELE M. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. A GIRDLE-LIKE GARMENT HAVING A FRONT, BACK, SIDES AND A CROTCH COMPRISING A FIRST PANEL MEMBER OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL FORMING ONE SIDE OF SAID GARMENT AND ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND THE HIP OF A WEARER, A SECOND PANEL MEMBER OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL FORMING THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID GARMENT AND ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND THE OPPOSITE HIP A WEARER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL WITH SAID FIRST PANEL MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANEL MEMBERS EACH HAVING CORRESPONDING TOPS AND ADAPTED TO FIT THE WAIST OF A WEARER, AND FURTHER TERMINATING IN THE REGION OF THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE GARMENT IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM EACH OTHER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANEL MEMBERS EACH HAVING A BOTTOM, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANEL MEMBERS EACH HAVING A CROTCH PORTION AT SAID BOTTOM IN SPACED RE- 